Tarucus ananda

Tarucus ananda, the dark Pierrot,[1] is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

Peninsular and southern India up to Mumbai; Sikkim, Assam and Khasi Hills onto Myanmar and Dawnas; Orissa.

In southern India the butterfly occurs in Kanara, Nilgiris and Anaimalai Hills, and possibly Thailand.

Hindwing: a basal short, brownish-black, anteriorly attenuate bar placed obliquely, a transverse subbasal band of four large coalescent black spots, a transverse curved discal band twice broken as on the forewing and similar postdiscal subterminal and terminal markings.

It has a conspicuous gland on the 12th segment, and is attended by small species of ants of the genus Crematogaster.